Bringheli

I made it out to see Joe Bringheli yesterday and he's doing fine.

Joe's really busy. He's been selling (and building) four frame jigs a month, plus assorted other tools and jigs. Likewise, orders for steel tubing keep coming in. Joe says that he's working to train his daughter to help with parts of the business, just so he can keep up with everything. Yea Joe, it's a good problem to have.

Joe showed me the new Corsa Nero frame set from Deda. Very pretty. It has the newly fashionable large check weave in the outer carbon layer. The tube shapes are nice - very aero-profile looking. It is a complete frame. There's no building involved - so there's no customization either. Corsa Nero will be replacing Black Pearl (which continues to be available for a short while), and offers one improvement: Corsa Nero comes in more sizes than Black Pearl. So, for off the peg fitting, it offers more options. I think it should be popular.

Since my last visit Joe has done 4 frame builds. He clearly enjoys this side of the business, but with all of his other work, he finds it hard to fit more framebuilding into his schedule. It's interesting to note, Joe's custom frame and fork packages are priced as a real bargain. He prices to his local market, and doesn't reflect what a custom steel frame and fork would cost across the rest of the country. So, if you're looking for a frame, you're on a limited budget, and have the patience to wait 3-4 months for it to be built, you might try giving Joe a call.